A Series of Firsts
by sanumarox123
Summary: <html><head></head>- They may not be each other's first loves, first kisses, first sights, or first dates, but they want to be each other's lasts. - AU.</html>
1. First Sight

**(PLEASE READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER. I CHANGED A FEW POINTS FROM THE ORIGINAL UPDATE.)**

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><p><strong>A Series of Firsts<strong>

"_**I may not be your first love, first kiss, first sight, or first date but I just want to be your last."**_

_**-Unknown**_

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><p><strong>(authors note at the bottom)<strong>

**disclaimer: I do not own Castle, this quote, or anything that seems like a name brand that is mentioned in this fic.**

**spoilers: I'm not sure yet. Just know that this is AU and not really going along with the show. Castle is still a famous author and Kate is a homicide detective, however. Also: Castle is 29, and Kate is 24.**

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><p><em>First Sight<em>

He meets her for the first time at the corner coffee shop, about three years after his first book is published. He will never forget her: her shoulder length brown hair, a determined expression on her face, and killer heels that make even his eyes sore looking at them. He's used to looking down at people, especially women, and to find this particularly attractive one almost at his height makes him automatically interested. They're both standing at the counter, waiting for their drinks, when he looks straight at her for the first time.

She's wearing a tank top and pants (in this 80 degree weather?), along with a leather jacket slung on one arm. On her belt is a badge, and he deducts that she must be a police officer of some kind.

However, those are the obvious things.

As a writer, and as one who looks for details others might miss, he sees sadness lurking behind her façade, and the pain looks so fresh and _deep_ that he flinches internally for her. She gets her coffee first and he grabs his quickly and makes his way over to her table.

He plops down, uninvited, and she looks up in surprise before her face quickly turns into amazement and then settles for an expression consisting of raised eyebrows and pursed lips.

He is all ready to say hello, or something along those lines, when she looks straight into his eyes and he's struck speechless.

Like, literally struck speechless.

Her eyes show a kaleidoscope of expressions that surround him, and he can't look away.

(He thinks that he could write a whole book about her eyes.)

She clears her throat, and he realizes that he's been staring at her, mouth slightly open, for at least a minute now.

Gathering his wits and the womanizing attitude that he already is notorious for, he grins and sends a 'Rick Castle' award-winning smile her way.

"Hey, what's your name?" he asks, and gets a slight laugh in answer.

"That the best you can do, Rick Castle?" She remarks, adding an emphasis on his name. He's not sure how to take it, so he goes with charming, and smirks.

"No, but I'm only warming up." He takes a sip of his slightly colder coffee, just as she finishes hers.

"Well, I'm warmed up and ready to go, so maybe next time, hun." She gets up and gathers her coat and files into her arms and her coffee cup (which he now sees is not empty yet) into one hand. He's getting up with her when she puts a hand on his chest, and leans over.

He can literally taste her in his mouth with her this close, her intoxicating perfume and smell of coffee washing over him as he breathes in.

He suddenly can't breathe as she whispers, "But trust me. It would have been electric," in what he automatically names her bedroom voice. His vision is glazed over and only snaps out of it when he hears a "Goodbye Matt!" coming from her as she leaves, and a returning, "See ya tomorrow, Kate!" coming from the man at the counter as the door shuts.

What the hell just happened?

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><p>She is having an okay start to the day the morning her favorite author flirts with her.<p>

She's picking up her daily coffee (one of many, depending on what case she's working on), and she finally has some time to sit and enjoy Manhattan outside the coffee shop window for once. No murder had been called in, so she is free, at least for a little while.

She tries not to notice him next to her, talking animatedly with Matt at the counter, and instead looks at her watch and feels him stare at her.

She shifts in her heels and they stand there in silence until her coffee arrives, the one thing that will sufficiently wake her up. Trying to ignore his stare that she could feel burning into the back of her head, she heads to her table in the corner; the one facing the busy New York street.

She's looking over some case files and trying not to sink into the misery she feels every morning when she senses a presence in front of her. Looking up, she sees Richard Castle sitting in front of her, his mouth half open, ready to speak.

And he stays that way.

No words come out, and she sits there for a minute before she clears her throat, effectively catching his attention.

He seems to struggle with himself before he plasters on a smile that, to any other person than the detective she is, would seem totally real. It was his one that he wore on television, in the news, everywhere. And she would know. She's a huge fan, and her _favorite author _is currently talking to _her. _

"Hey, what's your name?"

She can't help but laugh at that. "That the best you can do, Richard Castle?" Adding emphasis on his name, she tries to inject as much snark into his name as she can. She might be a huge fan of his work, but she can read guys pretty well, and this one seems like it might need some ego-fixing.

"No, but I'm only warming up." He takes a sip of his probably now-cool coffee. She gulps half of hers down and grabs a slip of paper from her notepad and jots something down.

Standing up, she grabs her coat and files. "Well, I'm warmed up and ready to go, so maybe next time, hun." Holding everything including her cup in one hand, she stops him from getting up with one hand and pushes him down. Leaning into him, she can see every detail of his face and she's suddenly unable to breath.

He lets out a shaky breath and she's back to her senses, whispering in what she hopes is a seductive voice instead of how she really feels, "But trust me, it would have been electric."

She straightens up and swivels on her heels, heading out the door, calling a goodbye to Matt and getting one in return. She can see Rick Castle, the famous author, still frozen in a stupefied expression, and she laughs. Oh, how surprising it must be for him to find a woman who won't throw herself at him.

(She just hopes that he got the note she slipped in his pocket while he was speechless.)

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><p>She knows he did when he calls her later that night, voice barely containing his excitement.<p>

"You meant to give this to me, didn't you?" He asks, and she can hear the grin in his voice. Reading aloud from the scrawled message she left for him, her cheeks start to flame but she laughs along with him, "Hey, you seem like an arrogant asshole but maybe I'll give you a chance…" He chuckles. "And then you left your number."

She agrees with a murmur and they fall silent for a minute.

"So would you want to go out with me, let's say, tomorrow? But only if you want, or if you can…"

His voice has changed somehow. Like it's unsure, or something along those lines. Her heart softens a little, and she smiles. She knows that now is not the time for games.

"I'd love to. Just call me up, and let me know where and when, alright?"

He says his consent and then she hears a cry from that room. It sounds like a toddler, but why…?

"Shit, sorry," he says in a rush. "I forgot the babysitter ended her shift at 10 today, so I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Deal." She gets out and the next words he utters make her profoundly happy for some reason.

"It's gonna be epic, darlin'."

And this time she's the one left speechless.

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><p><strong>Haha. So. Yeah. This is the complete chapter. Told ya it would be longer. I hope you all enjoyed. This is going to be a fun time writing this, and I'm honestly really excited now that I have a feeling where this is gonna be headed.<strong>

**Love you all x**


	2. First Date

**Oh lord I left this for like a month and a half. I'm so sorry guys. I've just been piled with work and papers and concerts and ugh. But I had some time tonight (NOT.) and I decided to update.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Castle. I only own Frank. Sorta.<strong>

**Spoilers: Eh. It's AU. Nothing much.**

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><p>"<em>I may not be your first love, first kiss, first sight, or first date, but I just want to be your last."<em>

_Unknown_

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><p><em>First Date<em>

He calls her back the next day, while she's at the precinct. Of course, Ryan and Esposito peek to see who it is (her phone is on her desk), and when they see the name _Rick _on the screen, their interest perks.

"Ooo, who's this Riiiiick that's calling you, Beckett?" Esposito (Espo for short) taunts, and as she's picking it up, she sees the two boys sneaking looks. She might be their head detective, but those two are like her brothers, so she ignores the teasing and turns away.

"Hey, Kate?" She hears coming from her phone, and she quickly walks out of the room toward the break room.

"Hey, Rick. Right now's not such a great time…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you at work?" But his voice doesn't show any regret, a big change from the uncertainty that had laced his voice over the phone the previous night, and she laughs while answering.

"Yeah, yeah, I am."

He continues on. "So as I was saying, before I was so unkindly interrupted by my daughter," (He has a _daughter_?) "I was thinking that tonight, we can go to this nice place, called the Old Haunt?"

The name sounds familiar but Kate can't quite remember where she had heard it before. "Okay? What time?"

He chuckles. "Depends on when you get off work, Kate." His voice is warm and she feels her heart stutter at his laugh, and wants nothing more than to hear it again.

(Where are these feelings coming from?)

She realizes she hasn't answered and responds, "Oh… well, I can get off around 5, so I'll meet you there around 6?"

She doesn't mention she doesn't know where it's located, but he knows.

"Something tells me you don't know where the good ol' Old Haunt is, so I'll pick you up at 6:30. How does that sound?"

She breaths a sigh of relief and agrees. "Yeah, sure." She brushes a hand through her hair and starts to come up with a mental list of things she needs to do before the date tonight, and then he laughs and she comes back to the conversation.

"Okay, darlin'. Don't keep me waiting too long."

She rolls her eyes. "Don't call me darlin'."

His voice turns taunting and something else, something more intimate, when he replies, "Well, dear, it's either darling or else it's babe. Take your pick."

Kate's momentarily confused at the abrupt change of the tone of the conversation and isn't able to answer. Her chest constricts at his sentence for some reason and she's unable to breath.

Then she hears him cough into the phone, and she regains her momentum. "I pick C: none of the above." She teases.

She hears him talking to the side with a voice (must be his daughter, judging from how the little girl says, "daddy!") and then he comes back.

"Okay, so I'll see you at 6:30?"

"That's the plan."

"Well, make sure to wear something slutty."

And then he hangs up the phone, leaving her stunned.

What the hell?

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><p>So of course, it's 5:53pm, and she doesn't have anything to wear.<p>

Kate just took a shower, and her hair is still wet and hanging down her back, wetting her towel that's wrapped around her body.

Kate hopes Rick was just joking about the slutty part, because right now, she's not sure if she's ready to go there.

(Although she knows it'll be great.)

(It WILL be great? Wonderful. Now she's thinking that they will… do it.)

So she grabs the first thing she can get and slips it on, and then looks in the mirror.

It looks horrible. It's a red dress she hasn't worn since before her mother got shot.

It's her mom's.

So she takes it off and grabs the nearest pair of high heels, and goes from there.

After sixteen minutes of deciding, she fixates her attention on a semi-short, green flowered dress that flares out at the bottom and neither props her breasts up nor flattening them.

Grabbing her leather jacket, she heads to the bathroom and does her makeup, keeping it natural, and drying her still-wet hair into its natural waves.

On her way to her door, Kate presses the home button on her iPhone and it shows that the time is 6:24, which is probably her record for ever getting ready for a date.

She opens her door to find Rick in mid knock.

Dammmmn, he looks good. Dressed in a blue button up that brings out his eyes, and a pair of khakis that she would find unattractive on another man, he looks handsome.

And apparently he thinks the same about her.

Being attractive, that is.

Because he's staring at her, his eyes moving up and down her body languidly, and she shivers under the heat of his gaze.

(They just met each other yesterday and she's already turned on by this man's gaze. What.)

Waving her hand in front of his eyes, she says, "Rick? Rick? Hello, is anyone in there?"

She moves as if to touch his hair and he flinches and snaps out of his daze. Rick holds his arm out chivalrously, and she takes it as they walk to the elevators.

Kate realizes that, even in her heels, she has to look up at this man, and that's usually never the case.

(Oh, and that it's really a big thing for her, because even though she's into those men with broad shoulders that sport the stubble that makes her feel tingly, it's something different with this man. Already.)

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><p>He drives her in a limo.<p>

_(A limo.)_

She's stunned by the interior that they spend the ride in silence as she admires the carpet and the many accessories that this particular limo holds.

Kate feels his gaze on her but she can't bring herself to care, not when she's being driven to a date with a handsome man in a freaking limo.

She knows she's probably overreacting, but it's so frickin' cool.

And then they arrive.

She expected some sort of rich and fancy place, but what she finds is an old-fashioned downtown bar, with a sign that says "1890, The Old Haunt".

Rick must go here a lot because he calls out names at the bartender and waiters and they respond with a hearty, "Rick Castle! Good to see you here!"

They sit down at a round table and then the two of them look at each other for the first time since he picked her up and the silence turns awkward.

(It's not exactly silent; there's a murmur of conversation around them, but to them, it's silent. Well, at least to Kate it is.)

He clears his throat and says, "So, what would you like to eat, drink…?"

She turns to him and he smiles. "Anything, honestly. I can just tell this place is great."

She's stunning tonight.

Stunning.

When he first saw her in her doorway, he was momentarily struck speechless, because a halo of pure beauty framed her face as she turned to lock her door.

Her hair is wavy, and he doesn't care if it's natural or not, because the look suits her.

(They've known each other a little more than 24 hours and already he's thinking about what suits her.)

Her hazel eyes sparkle and her dress with the little flowers is the perfect length and her heels still make her shorter than him even though he knows she's a tall woman, and it's just… perfect.

For the second time since Meredith walked out on him and Alexis, his heart felt something as he laid eyes on her again tonight.

(The first time was yesterday, when he met her.)

And he can tell that she was expecting some sort of fancy restaurant by the way she lingered outside the bar, looking at the sign on top.

(Wait till she finds out that he owns the place.)

Then they sit down, and she's fidgeting with her hands and he sees she's nervous.

Covering her hands with one of his own, he looks at her, really looks at her, and holds back a grin. "What would ya like to eat, drink…?"

Her eyes fixate on his, and then he can't hold back his smile, and he gets a tentative answering one in return. Rick holds out the menu and points to it.

(Oh, man, is he going to love her smiles.)

Then Frank, their waiter, comes over. He sees them looking at the menu.

"Okay, so this is today's special. Burger and fries, on the house. Side drink, whatever you want."

She looks up, surprised. "On the house?"

"Yeah, man! Rick right here owns this place since he saved it from being demolished, what, two years ago? And since you're the first lady he's brought here, I figure you're special, so of course on the house!"

She looks over at him and he feels her gaze on him as he tries to send a message to the poor boy in front of him. 'Stop, now. Stop.'

Frank doesn't get it, and just smiles hugely. "I'll leave you guys to it, then!"

He lifts his eyes to look into hers and instead of some thing he was afraid he'd see, he sees happiness.

(He was afraid that poor Frank would ruin this before it even started, by revealing too much.)

She smiles big, teeth showing, her tongue against her teeth, and he's stunned.

She's not beautiful.

She's gorgeous. Stunning. Brilliant. Her smile makes her light up and he can't breath because he knows that if she keeps smiling like that, he'll either end up kissing her or proclaiming he loves her on their first date.

(Because that smile will surely lead to love.)

"So, you're the owner, huh?" Kate says, still grinning, teasing him. "How'd that happen?"

He shrugs, trying to act nonchalantly. "Oh you know, saved one or two men. The usual."

"Uh-huh." She says, nodding thoughtfully, pretending to be deep in thought.

He jabs her with his foot under the table and laughs as she jumps slightly.

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><p>They order food, both getting the specials, with wine as their drink.<p>

(Huh. Rick never figured her as a wine girl.)

He tells her that, in fact, and he gets a, "Oh, there are many layers to the Kate onion you have yet to peel", and he gets a tingle down his spine because she just promised more dates and more time together.

They share stories, and he tells her about Alexis. Judging from the tears glistening in her eyes, the love is evident in his voice as he tells her about the time Alexis hid under the sofa and he couldn't find her for twenty minutes, and nearly called the police.

He laughs as she tells him stories about her and her father, and even though Rick notices she doesn't mention her mom once, he doesn't push it. There's something there that must be reserved for another night.

(Because there will be more nights.)

He talks about his job as an author, and she tells him about her being a homicide detective. He chuckles at the pranks she's pulled on Ryan and Esposito; the fun times Kate and the ME at the twelfth precinct, Lanie, had had, teasing the boys on their love lives; and is appropriately horrified at the parts where they get her back (although he feels that she finds it funny too, no matter how mad she acts).

By the time he looks at his watch, it's well past 9:30, and Rick realizes time had gone by so fast that it felt like merely a few minutes.

He sees Kate getting up too, getting ready to pay as she flags down Frank, and he clutches her wrist.

"Oh, no, Kate. No way. It's on the house, remember?" He sees her about to object and says, "You can pay for the next one."

Her face brightens, and he's reassured that there indeed will be a next one.

"Okay," She agrees, and they head out the door to the awaiting limo.

This time, the drive back to her place is not silent, and is filled with talk about Robert Frost and Charles Dickens (oh, he already loves that she reads), and he realizes that he doesn't want to say goodnight.

(Oh good lord.)

But before Rick knows it, he and Kate are at her door, and she's taking off her jacket, and unlocking her door.

She looks up, and her face is full of something he can't place until he feels a pair of lips land on his cheeks.

"Goodnight, Rick. I'll talk to you tomorrow," She whispers, and moves to go in.

But somehow, it isn't enough, so he grabs her wrist and pulls her flush to his body, and the haze that covers her eyes shows that she doesn't exactly mind.

He leans in slowly, breathing in her perfume, and then kisses right next to her mouth, and whispers, "Thank you for the lovely night." He presses his lips to her earlobe and gently takes it between his teeth, and he feels her shiver. "I might even call to say goodnight. Who knows."

And then he forces himself to leave right then, to leave her on edge.

Because judging from the stunned look on her face, she most definitely did not expect that.

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><p>As Kate gets ready for bed, her mind is still a muddle. What exactly happened there? Because it most definitely wasn't normal for her heart to pound at the thought of him so soon.<p>

She had only felt this way once before, and that was with her first love in high school.

Shit.

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><p><em>(He does call later that night. He says goodnight, and then she slides into bed and they can't seem to put the phone down, and she falls asleep to him whispering a story about a princess with her own castle.)<em>

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><p><strong>Woah. That was long. Did not expect that to come out of this.<strong>

**Okay, so I have a feeling some of you might think they're going a bit fast. But at most, this story will be six chapters, and they have to come a long way. And personally, I think their romance, if those problems didn't happen between them, could be a true whirlwind romance. That's what I'm trying to do here.**

**Thanks for reading, and review :)**

**(Analina, I'm so sorry for keeping you up till past 1AM to wait for this. Just remember I love you.)**


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